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Avoiding the Seamy Side: Tips For Asian Travel

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My three companions and I are walking in a city in South Korea,looking for a place to eat and rest after an afternoon ofwandering. Shopkeepers are closing their stores up, people areheading home and the sun is starting to set. Nightlife hasn'tstarted, but the afternoon's commerce is done. As we make ourway down the street a fifty-ish man pedals a bicycle in ourdirection, his left hand extended as if to greet us. Instead ofgiving a friendly wave, as he passes us he gropes one of mycompanions-a tall blonde girl in her early 20s. None of us canquite believe what we've just seen, but it's a side life in Asiawe foreigners are soon forced to deal with-the opposite of thatfirst 'ultra-polite' impression many Americans get of Japan andKorea. Coming face to face with the seamier side of the east can be alittle bit of a shock, especially in Japan, where riders on thesubway must deal with gropers called 'chikan', men who boardcrowded trains to fondle young women, especially school-agegirls in uniform. The chikan problem is getting worse; there isnow a small organization of these men, known as ChikanTomo-no-Kai: the Brotherhood of Gropers. Subway riders are fedup with the chikan, some to the point where spontaneousvigilante attacks are happening on the subway, those singled outas gropers have received severe beatings. In spite of our encounter with the bicycle groper in GunsanCity, South Korea doesn't seem to have the same level of problemwith gropers. Instead, electronic voyeurism is the big issue.South Korean voyeurs using cell phone-mounted cameras createdsuch a problem that in November of 2003 the government therepassed a law requiring a mandatory beep tone to accompany allpictures taken with cell phone cameras. The problems of groping and electronic voyeurism aren't limitedto Asia. America has its own problems with sexual harassment andprivacy, but American travelers are often caught off guard byhow


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blatant many of the offenses are. They happen in publicareas, in full view of anyone, whereas America's sexualharassment and invasion of privacy incidents are more hidden. Inspite of the blatant nature of these kinds of problems in theFar East, travelers can go prepared for the unexpected bykeeping a few key things in mind: Travel Together-it's best to travel in pairs in a strangeplace. In Japan and Korea, there are many shopping and partydistricts where people gather in large groups. If you musttravel alone, stick to places with a lot of people and be waryof how much alcohol you drink. Dress Conservatively-cell phone camera voyeurs are fond ofsomething known as the "upskirt" which is simply sticking a cellphone under a woman's dress. By the time you know you're beingphotographed, it's usually too late, and your picture may wellmake the rounds across the internet on sites that feature thesekinds of illegal pictures. If you are concerned about thishappening to you, slacks are best. Stay Along The Wall--Subway gropers are usually in the center ofthe crowd. If you can find a spot where you can put your back toa wall chances are you won't be a victim. You'll be able to makeeye contact with and identify everyone around you--something thesubway groper definitely does NOT want. Know the Right Phrases-if you are being harassed, groped orphotographed, what will you do to call attention to yourproblem? In Japan, the phrase "Dame-yo!" (dah-may-yo) means"that's totally inappropriate" and gets a lot of attention ifit's said in a loud voice in a crowded subway train. If you arehaving photo voyeur trouble in South Korea, you can shout SOONGYUNG (soon- ghee- young) which means "Police!" About the author: Joe Wallace Long Island Exchangehttp://www.longislandexchange.com Long Island's OnlineNewspaper. Reproduction of this article is permitted providedthat active link to Long Island Exchange Newspaper is in place.

Written by: Joe Wallace

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